drayer



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. U. DRAYER. COMBINED TOBACCO WRINGER AND SPREADER.

Patented July 5, 1887.

- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. U. DRAYER. COMBINED TOBACCO WRINGER AND SPREADER. No. 365,803.

Patented July 5, 1887.

JnVsn/br WWW 2 A43, Any.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM U. DRAYER, OF MIDDLETOIVN, OHIO, ASSIGNQR 'IO \VILSON & lVIOCALLAY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED TOBACCO WRINGER AND SPREADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,803, dated July 5, 1887.

Application filed February 14, 1887. Serial No. 227,473.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADAM U. DRAYER, a

I citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Butler and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Tobacco \Vringer and Spreader, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention is an improvement or addition to the invention set forth in Letters Patent No. 333,933, granted Drayer and Hatfield J anuary 5, 1886, for improvement in casing-tubs for tobacco, and which was intended to secure by improved means the thorough and even distribution in the tobacco-leaves of the sweetening and flavoring mixture.

My present improvement is designed to receive the tobacco thus prepared, express the surplus liquor, and spread and convey it to the racks for drying.

The novel features will be more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wringer and V spreader, shown in section with,a part cut away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the gearing, &c.

A is the rear end of the casing-tub described in said Patent No. 333,933, in which the tobacco is mixed with the liquor for sweetening and flavoring it, and carried to the rear of the tub by the dippers or corrugated cylinders B. Formerly it was here taken by hand and passed through a wringer,and then again taken and spread on racks for drying. In addition to the time and labor thus required to handle of this frame are two pair of sprocketwhcels,

(No model.)

F and F, all parallel, one pair above the other. In the same vertical plane, passing around these sprocket-wheels, are endless chains E E, making two pair of chains, each pair being connected by cross strips or plates G, made of wood or metal. In use I prefer to make them of spring-steel. These chains and strips G form two endless belts, open between the slats, which should be from an eighth to half an inch apart, or less, if desired. The sprocket-wheels F F are revolved in opposite directions by the drive-chains H H, Fig. 2, by means of the guide-wheels K K and the drive-wheels L L, and the guide-wheels carry the chain H over the wheel L and under wheel L. The lower ends of the endless belts are placed from a half or three-quarters to an inch apart, while the upper ends of the belts come almost in contact, having just sufficient space for the to bacco to pass between the belts. As the bolts are moved, the inner or contacting surfaces thereof are of course moving in the same direction, as shown by the arrows, Fig. 1. As the tobacco is swept from the casingtub A, suspended or partly suspended in the liquor, it comes in contact with the lower end of the belt passing over the wheel F, and is carried up by the belts formed of the chains E and strips G, and as it advances is pressed tightly between the two sets of strips on the two belts, and a large portion of, the liquor squeezed out ofit, which drips through the belt back into the tub. As the tobacco floats gently into the opening formed between the lower ends of the belts, the leaves being to a great extent uncurled and spread outin the liquor, they spread themselves upon the belts, and all bunching and curling is prevented. The tobacco comes from between the upper ends of the belts in a thin sheet of uncurled or spread leaves, and with most of the liquor expressed. It is there received upon the revolving cylinder M, re

' volved by the gear K and drive-chain l1, and

passed in a thin sheet down the trough or chute N, and is caught by the cylinders P P, which revolve in opposite directions, forming an ordinary wringer, and which expresses whatever remains of surplus liquor in the tobacco. Thence it passes by gravity through the trough R, and is received upon the endless belt or chain S, constructed in the same manner as the belts above described, except that I prefer to make the strips G of wood instead of steel.

As this belt S may be required to carry the tobacco some distance, I support the upper part of it on tracks 3. The tobacco is carried on this belt in the thin sheets to any convenient point, where it is delivered on a table to be placed on frames to be conveyed to the dry ing-room, or it may be delivered directly upon the frames.

T T are set-screws for regulating the distance between the sprocket-wheels carrying the belts, and thereby the tension of said belts.

U is a set screw for adjusting the distance or contact of the cylinders P P. The braces (Z (Z are fixed rigidly to the lower frameD, and the upper ends are provided with longitudinal slots, in which are set-screws attached to the upper frame D,v By means of these slots and set-screws the upper frame D, and with it the upper belt, may be adjusted up or downthatis, closer to or farther from the lower one.

x is a swinging scraper pivoted so as to rest against the cylinder P, which detaches any tobacco that may adhere to the cylinder and keeps it clean. Thesprocket-wheels Z, carrying the belt or conveyer S,are operated by the belt Y and gear y, Fig. 2. The tension of this conveyer S is regulated by the set-screw L, as

the axle or bearings of sprocket-wheels Z are set in a sliding frame controlled by the setscrew L. By the arrangement of the bolts to gather the tobacco as'it floats in the liquor and spread it automatically on the strips G, the tobacco is kept in much finer condition and a large amount of labor is saved. The drying process is rendered much easier and more even and effectual.

lfgdesired, the second wringer, P P, may be omitted,as the tobacco may be sufficiently dry without it.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent, is-

1. The combination, with the endless belts arranged in an inclined position one above the other, as shown, to take the tobacco fromthe ranged on alower plane, theinclined chute N, I

arranged between said belts and cylinders, and the revolving cylinder M, arranged at the upper end of the chute between the same and the delivery end of the belts, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a device for the purpose described, two endless belts arrangedinclined, as shown, and traveling in opposite directions, two cylinders, P P, arranged on a lower plane and inclined, as shown, and traveling in opposite directions, an inclined chute, N, between said cylinders and the delivery end of the endless belts, the'cylinder M at the upper end of the chute, endless belts S, and inclined trough R between said belts and the cylinders P P, all combined, arranged, and operating substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination, with the sprocketwlieelsF F and endless chains E, passing thereover in an inclined position and traveling in opposite directions, of the drive-wheels L L, guide-wheels K K, and the drive-chain H, passed over said drive-wheels and under said guide-wheels, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with. the sprocketwheels F F and endless chains E, passing thereover in an inclined position and traveling in opposite directions, of the drive-wheels L L, guide-wheels K K, the drive-chain H, passed over said drive-wheels and under said guide-wheels,the cylinder M, and connections between said drive-wheel L and the shaft of said cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ADAM U. DRAYER.

Witnesses:

H. P. LEIBEE, H. O. BOYKIN. 

